David Weil has been the proud author of the “Ask a Maritime Attorney” column in The Southern California Log Newspaper and Sea Magazine since 2006, with over 300 installments of the column. We have provided links in this section to those articles, covering a wide range of topics of interest to the California maritime and boating communities.

Legal Issues for Charter Yacht Businesses

May 5, 2007
I own a 50-foot sailing yacht that I believe would be perfect for a small charter business carrying passengers on overnight trips to Catalina. What legal issues should I consider before I get started? A new charter business...

Sales Tax Still Applies

May 3, 2007
I recently purchased a 65-ft. sportfishing yacht, and a neighbor in my marina told me I could have avoided paying sales tax because the boat weighs more than 50 tons. Is he correct? No. The weight or tonnage of a boat has no...

Title Choices Have Boater Stumped

April 18, 2007
I am in the process of buying a used motoryacht. The boat is currently registered in California, but my broker has suggested that I convert the title to Coast Guard documentation. Can you shed some light on the pros and cons...

The Cost of Exclusivity

April 5, 2007
I signed a listing agreement with a yacht broker last month for the sale of my boat, but now a friend of mine is interested in buying it. The broker says that I will owe him a commission, even if I sell the boat on my own to...